Scott wants to give a $2,500 across-the-board pay raise to every full-time teacher. He announced his proposal in Ocoee, outside Orlando.

Terrie Brady, president of Duval Teachers United, said she’s cautious because the Legislature would have to approve the $480 million it would cost to get teacher raises.

Dawn Chapman, president of St. Johns Education Association, said it’s unclear if teachers would actually see the $2,500 because local school districts could decide to use the money in other areas.

Brady said she’s encouraged that the governor is making public education a priority, but giving more no strings attached funding to public education would be the next big step.

Scott said he would include the teacher pay raise as part of his 2013 budget proposal. If the Legislature approves the extra money for teachers, local school boards would have the final say on how the money is spent.

There are about 168,000 teachers statewide.

In his first year as governor, Scott approved $1 billion in cuts to public school funding, but last year his budget included a $1 billion increase. He left it to local school boards to determine how much, if any, would go to pay raises.

When factoring in recent pay cuts to Florida teachers, Chapman and Brady said the $2,500 for every teacher probably wouldn’t be much of a raise. They said teachers and all state employees had a 3 percent reduction in pay under the state’s pension reform in 2010. Couple that with the 2 percent increase in payroll taxes from Congress, and Chapman says that comes out to an average $2,300 less in pay.